Page 30 of Captivating Nash

Nash’s jaw tightened, his eyes locked on the boats ahead. “We’re not letting them get us. Not now.”

He swerved the boat sharply, weaving between the rocks as they neared the cliffs. The waves slammed against the hull, sending sprays of water into the air, but Nash kept them steady, his focus unwavering. Deanna clung to the boat, her knuckles white as they shot forward, the boats behind them closing the distance with every second.

The cove was so close now, just beyond the final curve of the cliffs. But the speedboats were almost on them, their engines roaring, the men onboard armed and ready.

“We’re not going to make it,” Deanna whispered, the fear gripping her throat.

Nash didn’t respond. His eyes were hard, his grip tight as he steered the boat into the cove, pushing the engine to its limits. The cliffs loomed overhead, the dark water rushing beneath them.

And then, just as the enemy boats rounded the corner, Nash yanked the wheel hard, sending their boat veering sharply toward the rocks. Deanna screamed as the boat tilted, the force throwing her to the side, but Nash’s strong arm caught her, pulling her back to safety as they careened into a narrow passage between the cliffs.

The enemy boats tried to follow, but the rocks were too narrow, too treacherous. Nash’s boat scraped against the jagged walls, but they shot through, leaving their pursuers behind.

For a moment, everything was still. The boat slowed as they drifted into the safety of the cove, the sound of the waves lapping gently against the shore. Deanna’s heart raced, her breath coming in ragged gasps, but they had made it.

They had survived.

Nash let out a long breath, his hand still gripping hers tightly as they came to a stop in the shallow water. He turned to her, his face grim but filled with quiet relief.

“We’re not done yet,” he said, his voice low but determined. “But we’re one step closer.”

Deanna nodded, her chest tightening with a mix of fear and gratitude. They had escaped, but the fight was far from over.

The first crack of thunder and flash of lightning split the sky, unexpected and reverberating through the hull of the boat. Deanna’s hands gripped the railing, her knuckles white as she braced herself against the rising wind. The storm had come out of nowhere, a dark, swirling mass of clouds that now blotted out the moon and stars, plunging them into near-total darkness. The once-calm sea had turned into a violent, churning monster, the waves growing taller and more aggressive with each passing moment.

Beside her, Nash was focused, his jaw set, his eyes locked on the horizon—the extraction point—or what little of it he could still see. The storm was closing in fast, and the calm moment they’d shared in the cove was now a distant memory. Now, it was all about survival.

“Hold on!” Nash shouted over the roar of the wind, his hands gripping the wheel tightly as the boat pitched wildly beneath them. The speedboat slammed into the next wave, sending a spray of icy saltwater crashing over the deck. Deanna gasped, her body jolting with the force of the impact.

The storm’s fury was relentless, the sky lit up by streaks of lightning that tore through the clouds like cracks in the fabric of the world. The wind howled, lashing at them with merciless force, and Deanna felt the sharp sting of rain biting into her skin. She had never seen anything like it—the sea, once so familiar and comforting, now seemed like a living thing intent on swallowing them whole.

She stumbled toward Nash, gripping the side of the boat for balance as the vessel rocked violently under the assault of another wave. Her heart pounded in her chest, but her mind remained sharp. They couldn’t afford to panic now. Not when they were so close.

“What do you need me to do?” she yelled over the wind, her voice barely audible above the storm.

Nash didn’t look at her, his eyes still locked on the water ahead. “We need to keep this boat steady! Get to the stern, check the lines, and make sure nothing’s coming loose!”

Deanna nodded, adrenaline surging through her as she made her way to the back of the boat. The rain came down in torrents, hammering against her as she fought to stay upright, but she moved with purpose. She wasn’t going to let this storm take them down. Not after everything they’d been through.

She reached the stern, her hands working quickly as she checked the lines securing the small cargo they’d stowed earlier. The ropes were soaked, but they held firm, and Deanna breathed a small sigh of relief. She wiped the water from her eyes, her gaze sweeping across the dark horizon. The storm was everywhere—raging and furious—but she could still make out the faint outline of land in the distance. They were close. So close.

“We’re almost there!” she called to Nash, her voice straining against the howling wind.

He glanced back at her, his face slick with rain, but his eyes held that same steady determination that had carried them through so many dangerous moments before. “We’re going to make it!” he shouted back, though the words were filled more with willpower than certainty.

But even as he spoke, a rogue wave crashed against the side of the boat, sending it careening to the left. Deanna gasped, grabbing onto the railing to keep herself from being thrown overboard. The boat pitched wildly, and for a terrifying moment, she thought they might capsize. But Nash was there—his strong hands guiding the wheel, fighting the storm with every ounce of strength he had.

“We need more speed!” Nash yelled, his voice cutting through the chaos. “We have to push through!”

Deanna scrambled back to the front of the boat, slipping and sliding as the deck shifted beneath her feet. She could feel the boat struggling against the storm, the engine groaning as Nash pushed it to its limits. Her heart was in her throat as she reached him, her hands gripping his arm for support as the boat climbed yet another monstrous wave.

But just as they crested the peak, a flash of light caught her eye—something unnatural, something not from the storm.

“Nash, look!” Deanna shouted, pointing toward the horizon. Her voice was filled with disbelief, but the truth was unmistakable.

In the distance, cutting through the darkness like a blade, the beams of powerful searchlights swept across the water. And behind those lights, the unmistakable silhouette of several military vessels loomed in the storm’s chaos, heading directly for them.

Nash’s expression hardened instantly. “Damn it. We just can’t seem to catch a break.”

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